Cattle-guard.



.I. R. HORTON.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED snnzt. 1915.

1,191,971. Patented July 25,1916.

WITNESSES:

JOHN ROBERTS HORTON, 0F GBOSSETT, ARKANSAS.

CATTLE-cones.

ichen,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed September 21, 1915. Serial No. 51,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. HORTO a citizen of the United States, residing at Crossett, in the county of Ashley and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Gattle-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway cattle guards.

The object is to improve the structure shown and described in Patent No. 826,663, issued to me, JulyQl, 1906, where, a cattle guard is shown comprising a series of spiked rollers, mounted for rotative movement beneath the railway tracks and transversely thereto, one roller being mounted between each tie.

The present invention is more specifically aimed at the improvement of the construction of these rollers, and the object is to provide such a roller that is cheaper and easier to manufacture, is more durable, and avoids injuring the hoofs of cattle when attempting to pass over the guard from one field of pas-- ture to another.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a careful consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, as long as such changes or 1nodiiications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the claims, hereto appended.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts in each of' the several figures: Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway track having my improved cattle guard applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the improved roller.

The rails 1 are mounted in the usual'manner upon the cross ties 2, which are beveled on their upper corners 3 both between the rails and upon their outer extremities, to perform the double function to deflect the hoofs of cattle in a downward direction toward the rollers to be hereinafter described, and to form a water shed to enhance the life of said ties. Between the central and terminal beveled portions 3 are provided flat surfaces 4: to form a platform or bed for the rails 1, which are made fast thereto by the ordinary spikes.

Longitudinal bars or stringers 5 are, secured upon the upper faces of the terminals of the ties 2, and provide means for fastenmg and supporting the inner ends of inclined guards 6, which are in the nature of lattice work, in the ordinary manner, and provide ample space for the passage of roll ing stock, and, by reason of their extended lower portions, tend to guide cattle away from the guard. The upper portions of said guard 6 are made fast to the usual fence-supporting posts 7.

The improved rollers are arranged transversely of the rails, and between the ties, and are free to rotate when trod upon by cattle. To this end, hangers 8 are provided upon the inner side faces of the stringers 5 and extend down below the same a sufficient distance to receive trunnions 9, formed on the terminals of rectangular roller supporting shafts 10, the lower ends of said hangers being provided with the necessary eyes or openings 11 to receive the same. These hangers consist of flat metallic plates inset in the face of the stringers 5 and held thereto by screws or other suitable means. The shaft 10 which is preferably square in cross section provides the necessary faces for the attachment of outstanding blades or wings 12 and 18, which are designed to cause the roller to rotate upon being actuated in either direction by the hoof of the animal and thus to disconcert the latter and cause it to desist in the attempt to cross over the tracks at this point.

The blades 12 are arranged upon the fiat faces of the shaft 10, thus placing them in tangential relation to a circle concentric with the axis of the shaft, while the blades 13 are provided with foot portions 14 which are bent at an obtuse angle to the major portion of the blade, and such foot portions 1-1 are I placed upon the inner terminals of the blades 12, and the pairs of blades are made fast to the shaft 10 by bolts or rivets 15. This arrangement brings the blades 13 in true radial relation to the axis of the shaft 10, and the outer edges of the several blades are in regular spaced relation around a circle described on their outer extremities.

The axis of the shaft 10 is at such an ele 1 vation as to bring the edges of the revolving strike the same and revolve the roller.

blades 12 and 13 somewhat above the bottom of the rails 1, so that the animals hoof will In order to accommodate the bottoms of the rails 1, the several blades are slit or out where passing under the rails to form recesses l6, and the tongues of metal thus formed are bent back upon one of the faces of the several blades as indicated at 17 ,thus allowing of the free rotation of the several devices upon being actuated by the hoofs of animals. 7

Thecattle guard roller as herein described may" be manufactured entirely of stock metal, and thus insures a great reduction of the cost of production, and at the same time is proof against the action of the elements and will support a great load without the danger of becoming broken.

hat i'sclaimed is 1- L'In combination with a pair of spaced apart rails, a transverse shaft arranged beneath the rails and extending laterally therebeyond, said shaft having blade receiving faces in its periphery, a plurality of tangential blades engaging at their lnner edges against said faces of the shaft, a plurality of radial blades having angled foot portions adapted to bear upon the inner edges of said tangential blades and over the Copies of this patent may be obtained for l blade receiving faces of the shaft, and se the inner edges of the tangential blades and extending throughout the entire length of the shaft, securing means for holding, the tangential and radial blades in pairs against the sides of the shaft, all of said blades having tongues cut from the outer edges thereof in registry with the said rails to receive the latter upon the rotation of the shaft, said tongues being overturned upon the body of the blades.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ROBERTS HORTON.

' lVitnesses: J. S. ERWIN, J12, Roy DOOLEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

